1953

Former Santa Barbara-Ventura Congressman Robert Lagomarsino J.D. ’53 died Sunday at the age of 94 at his home on his family ranch in Ojai. The old-school Republican politician and UCSB alumnus is remembered for serving under five presidents during his nearly two-decade career in Congress, serving the Central Coast communities for 13 years in the California Senate and serving the city of Ojai as mayor for three years. Mr. Lagomarsino also championed the establishment of the Channel Islands National Park and CSU Channel Islands. The seasoned politician served in the U.S. Navy as a pharmacist during WWII, and graduated from UCSB in 1950 and Santa Clara University School of Law in 1954. While he was mayor, he met his late wife Norma, and they got married in 1961. Norma had two sons when they married, and the two had a daughter together. Mr. Lagomarsino’s achievements during his time as a state senator include the Garrigus-Lagomarsino Act (1963) which authorized vocational education centers in each county of California; the California Child Anti-Pornography Act (1969); the Marine Resources Protection Act (1970); and the Welfare Reform Act (1973).

02 Jul 2021